Latest news with #ChicagoTransitAuthority
CBS News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Oak Park, Illinois firefighters come to rescue snake gets stuck on CTA train
Back in 2006, Samuel L. Jackson starred in an action thriller called "Snakes on a Plane." In real life 19 years later, some Chicago Transit Authority 'L' passengers in Oak Park, Illinois, starred in a real-life situation of "snakes on a train." On Saturday, the Oak Park Fire Department was called to the Harlem/Lake Green Line terminal, on the boundary of Oak Park and Forest Park. A ball python named Lucius, after the Harry Potter character Lucius Malfoy, had gotten away from his owner and had gotten stuck inside the train's control panel. Firefighters were able to open the box, free Lucius, and return him to his owner — who happened to be dressed like a pirate. The Oak Park Fire Department posted on Facebook, "Not a typical rescue, but a memorable one for sure!"
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
4 CTA Red Line stops reopen after rebuilding
Commuters on the CTA Red Line on Chicago's North Side had four shiny new stops available on Sunday. A ceremonial train busted through a banner Sunday morning at the Berwyn station, above Berwyn Avenue just east of Broadway in the Edgewater neighborhood, to celebrate the reopening. The Berwyn station has been closed as part of the Chicago Transit Authority Red and Purple Modernization Project since 2021. The Lawrence station, over Lawrence Avenue just east of Broadway, has also been closed altogether since 2021. Two other stops, the Bryn Mawr and Argyle stations — over Bryn Mawr Avenue and Argyle Street, and also just east of Broadway — had temporary stations open while being rebuilt. "There's a wider platform at each station. The concrete structure is going to allow for a smoother ride. They're fully accessible. There's elevators and escalators at all the station — accessible to everyone," said CTA senior communications representative Andrew Gavrilos. Gavrilos said the concrete structure is more wind and noise resistant, and there are also wider canopies at the top for weather protection. "Well worth the wait," Gavrilos said. The $2.1 billion Red and Purple Modernization Project has been replacing century-old tracks, signals, and platforms that had all reached the end of their service lives. At the Bryn Mawr station, a new entrance has also opened a block north at Hollywood Avenue. According to the Chicago - history site — which is not affiliated with the CTA, but was built by CTA historian and expert Graham Garfield, who now serves as the CTA's general manager for Red and Purple Modernization operations and communication coordination — the Berwyn stop was first constructed in 1916 as the Edgewater Beach station on the Northwestern Elevated Railroad. The station was renamed Berwyn, for Berwyn Avenue, in 1960, according to Berwyn Avenue in turn was named by developer and Edgewater community developer John L. Cochran, a Philadelphia native, for the Philadelphia Main Line suburban community of Berwyn. The west Chicago suburb of Berwyn, which Berwyn Avenue does not run anywhere near, was named for the same Philadelphia suburb by different developers. There has been a rapid transit station at Bryn Mawr Avenue, three blocks north of Berwyn Avenue, since 1908, according to Bryn Mawr is another Philadelphia Main Line suburb that got a street name in Chicago thanks to Cochran, according to the book Streetwise Chicago. The Argyle station — serving the Asia on Argyle district that was transformed in the 1970s by Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, and Chinese entrepreneurs — also dates back to 1908, according to Published reports note that community leader Charlie Soo persuaded the CTA to take on a $250,000 renovation for the station in the 1980s, and a pagoda was added in 1991. The pagoda and an "Asia on Argyle" sign were removed for the reconstruction of the station, and the CTA said it is working with the local alderperson and the community to relocate both. The Lawrence station — serving such venues as the Aragon Ballroom, the Riviera Theater, and The Green Mill — came later, opening in 1923, according to
Time Out
25-06-2025
- Time Out
Four new CTA stations will open on the Red Line next month
Part of what makes Chicago so great is our public transportation: The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the nation's second largest public transportation system, serving not only Chicago, but also local airports (O'Hare International Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport) and the surrounding suburbs. The Red Line—which provides valuable 24-hour, seven-days-a-week service between Howard, way up north, and 95th /Dan Ryan, way down south—could use some updates, however. And thankfully, those upgrades are on the way: After being closed or partially closed for renovations for a troublesome four years, four shiny new Red Line stations are set to open on Sunday, July 20. The Red Line's north branches—Bryn Mawr, Berwyn, Argyle, and Lawrence—are part of Lakeview's $2.1 billion Red and Purple Modernization Project. Planned upgrades include not only a fresh coat of paint, but also important improvements like escalators, elevators and wider platforms for ADA-accessibility. All Chicagoans will love the enhanced lighting, real-time travel information displays (imagine that!), and overhead canopies to protect commuters from Chicago's sometimes less than ideal weather. Plus, CTA has replaced the tracks, support structures, bridges and viaducts between Bryn Mawr and Lawrence stations. 'We are proud to bring new, accessible Red Line stations to our customers, which will provide a more comfortable and convenient commuting experience,' said CTA's acting president Nora Leerhsen in a news release. 'By opening these four stations that will be accessible to customers with disabilities, we move closer to our goal of having all of our CTA stations fully accessible.' And if you want to give your own feedback for future CTA improvements, the transit authority has recently rolled out its " CTA Chats" program, a series of interactive pop-up events at rail stations and bus terminals that aim to connect commuters with CTA leadership to share insights on how they'd like to see things improve onboard.
CBS News
18-06-2025
- CBS News
6 CTA bus passengers hurt in crash with private ambulance in Chicago's South Loop
Six people were hurt Tuesday morning in a crash involving a Chicago Transit Authority bus and an ambulance in the South Loop. Police said at 10:13 a.m., the No. 3 King Drive bus was traveling south on Michigan Avenue just north of Roosevelt Road, when it was rear-ended by a private ambulance also headed south. Two men on the bus, ages 23 and 25, and one woman on the bus, 23, were all taken to Rush University Medical Center. Two other men on the bus, ages 73 and 32, were taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County, and two others of unconfirmed age were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, police said. The driver of the private ambulance was issued two traffic tickets, police said.
Chicago Tribune
17-06-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Today in Chicago History: Old Chicago — 1st indoor amusement park/mall in the US — opens in Bolingbrook
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on June 17, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) 1812: Fort Dearborn was the site of Chicago's first murder. The suspect was John Kinzie. The victim was Jean La Lime. The reasons for the fatal dispute are unknown. 1950: Richard Lawler led a surgical team that performed the first human-to-human kidney transplant at Little Company of Mary Medical Hospital in Evergreen Park. It's believed to be the world's first organ transplant. The patient was 44-year-old Ruth Tucker, whose mother and sister died of the same kidney disease she developed. Before operating on Tucker, Lawler had performed transplants on dogs and had succeeded in keeping one of the dogs alive for more than a year following a kidney transplant. Tucker, originally from Justice, survived for five years after the transplant, though her body rejected the new kidney just three months after the surgery. Tucker died of coronary artery disease, which doctors at the hospital said was probably unrelated to her transplant. The successful transplant was remarkable at the time because dialysis, which helps a patient survive until a compatible donor is found, had not yet been developed; and because immunosuppressants had not been developed to protect the transplanted kidney from rejection. 1974: 22-year-old Mary Wallace was introduced as Chicago Transit Authority's first female bus driver. Wallace, a gospel singer in a church choir and business graduate of Olive-Harvey College, told reporters she was looking forward to piloting a bus because she liked dealing with people. No, she said in response to questions about holdups and the like, she is not all afraid of the prospect of driving at night. 1975: Turn-of-the-century themed Old Chicago amusement park/shopping center — the first enclosed one in the United States — opened in Bolingbrook. It went bankrupt and closed in March 1980. Amazon purchased the site in early 2020, for $50 million. 1981: Tribune Co. announced an agreement to buy the Chicago Cubs. The company held onto the team until 2009, when it was bought by the Ricketts family. 1994: Opening ceremonies for FIFA's World Cup took place at Soldier Field with President Bill Clinton in attendance. The Park District spent millions to prep the stadium for the soccer tournament. What to know about the Chicago Bears' possible move to Arlington Heights — or a domed stadium on the lakefront2021: Chicago Bears team President and CEO Ted Phillips announces on Twitter the team recently submitted a bid to purchase the property at Arlington Park. Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.
